Tatsumi Shimura

Bio data
1907 ( Meiji Era 40 ) ~ 1980 ( Showa Era 55 )
Born in Takasaki-shi, Gunma Prefecture
Autonym : Sentaro

Shimura leaves Takasaki for Naka-ku, Yokohama-shi.

After leaving Kanagawa Senior Technical High School, architectonics major, Shimura pursued his studies of initiatory bijin-ga under Shuhou Yamakawa. At that time, Yamakawa was active in illustration with Shinsui Ito who was a fellow descendant with Kiyokata Kaburaki. With Shuhou Yamakawa’s commendation, Shimura started his career as an illustrator and exhibited his original drawings at a local social gathering “Kyodo kai” hosted by Kaburaki, “Seigin kai” and other events hosted by Shinsui Ito.

With the appearance on frontispiece on magazines such as “Fujin kai”, Shimura became popular as equally to Sentarou Iwata who was popular for his illustrations for a serial novel “Tangesazen” on newspapers.

Shimura worked as a major player for a popular entertainment in younger ages, then he went back to where he started: bijin-ga, in his twilight years.

While serving as a chairman of Publication of Art organization, Shimura received Japan Artists Club Award for his series of bijin-ga collection “Bijinhyakutai” of Showa era ( 1976 ).

Tatsumi Shimura can not be described without his work on “Tangesazen” which made Shimura well known. The peculiar appearance of samurai Sazen with one eye, one arm was merely one of the characters in the story, but his illustration made Sazen popular. Sazen’s image of illustration came down to other media such as movie films. This successful outcome has made Shimura one of the most popular illustrators of the time.

In postwar, as Shimura produced many illustrations for newspapers, magazines, and books, he continued to become known as a master of illustration.

Even though Shimura has established a position as an illustrator, he started to shift his focus to traditional Japanese paint. Women with long slitted eyes, pasty skin, grace and glow he depicted was highly valued and it made his name a common knowledge.

After attaining Japan Artists Club Award for his series of bijin-ga collection “Bijinhyakutai” in 1976 ( Showa 51), Shimura published “Kanzashi” in 1978 ( Showa 53 ). After all, Shimura kept pursuing bijin-ga.

In Shimura’s later life, he often visited Indonesia. Shimura later said he wished to open a way to a new direction more by drawing Balinese women. On the way of pursuance for his new Japanese paint and bijin-ga, he closed his eyes at age 73 in 1980 ( Showa 55 ).

We take reservation of limited release of wood block prints purchasing online. Delivery and handover will start from the beginning of January 2009 in order of precedence. Please contact for time and date.

Below list of paintings are available.

*  53 x 45.5 cm

Kotatsu / Hatsumoude / Kiba / Kiba2 / Karakkaze / Haori / Kawagishi

*     45.5 x 38 cm

Okawabata / Shitaku / Oume / Yakaimaki / Bijinga

*     35 x 27 cm

Ryosugatai